Panettiere was just 36 years old when she died in South Carolina last month.
ByTrace William Cowen
September 22, 2026
Hayden Panettiere’s death has been determined to have been caused by the toxic effects of fentanyl and other drugs.
As previously reported, Panettiere, 36, was pronounced dead on Aug. 16 after life support measures proved unsuccessful at a residence in Greenville, South Carolina. In a new statement shared with Complex on Tuesday (Sept. 22), the Greenville County Coroner’s Office said their findings led to the manner of death having since been ruled accidental.
“On August 16, 2026, at approximately 1:51 PM, a 911 call was received regarding a reported cardiac arrest at 701 Easley Bridge Road in Greenville,” a rep for the Greenville County Coroner’s Office told Complex. “First responders and Emergency Medical Services arrived on scene and located a female in cardiac arrest. EMS personnel initiated advanced cardiac life support measures; however, resuscitation efforts were unsuccessful, and the individual was pronounced deceased at 2:32 PM.”
The rep continued: “The Greenville County Coroner’s Office responded to the scene and initiated a parallel investigation with the Greenville City Police Department. The decedent has been identified as Hayden Leslie Panettiere, 36, of California. Panettiere was found unresponsive inside the residence, where she had been temporarily staying. An autopsy was completed by a Board Certified Forensic Pathologist. At autopsy no signs of trauma were discovered that would have contributed to the death. The cause of death has been ruled as toxic effects of fentanyl, 4-ANPP, Alprazolam, Methocarbamol, and Quetiapine. The manner of death has been ruled accident. This case is administratively closed by the Greenville County Coroner’s Office.”
4-ANPP is often detected alongside fentanyl, while Alprazolam and Methocarbamol are more commonly known under their respective prescription drug brand names Xanax and Robaxin. Quetiapine, an antipsychotic prescription drug, is sold under the name Seroquel.
The office declined to comment further.
Panettiere, a Golden Globes-nominated actor, made a sizable impact with her work on Heroes, Nashville, and Scream. At this month’s Primetime Emmy Awards ceremony, she was honored during an In Memoriam segment alongside Catherine O’Hara, James Van Der Beek, Dolly Parton, Isiah Whitlock Jr., Anthony Head, Sam Neill, Tim Curry, Rob Reiner, and many more.
In May, Panettiere published her memoir This Is Me, which became a bestseller.
